Play it again

If you love a pattern and how it turns out, make it again, right?
I was curious how a pair of toast would knit up using lace weight yarn. Pattern by Leslie. I cast 30 stitches of Malabrigo lace onto my size  3 square dp needles.  I had so much fun watching as the knit fabric unfolded to reveal its silky soft texture.  And I do mean soft.  This pair of toast should have no problem doing as the name implies, keeping the wearer nice and warm.  I’m almost done and plan to gift to my daughter Kristi.  Hope she likes them.

I also worked on a bit of crochet using Madeline tosh DK yarn and a size I hook. This is my second Calm Cowl. Pattern by Suzana.  Such a quick satisfying project. My niece Nicole liked the first one so much I happily let her have it.

check out some amazing Creativity over here

As snug as a

Why as snug as an iPad2 in its very own cozy cover.  Just finished sewing on the button closure and wanted to share how happy I am with the results of this project.  After making up 34 crochet squares and 2 of the odd shaped ones I sewed them together in strips of six and then attached the strips to each other.  I blocked the piece and once dried, I added two rows of single crochet around the edge with the 2^nd row having a button loop at one corner.  I can now slide the iPad into my purse without worrying about it being banged around with all the other stuff I carry on any given day.   Thank you Olivia for such a great pattern.

Sweet...

A new gadget and I have to wonder how it will change and/or improve my current process of knitting/crochet, photography and blogging. Getting what I asked for on my B’day was very exciting and yes, I’ve wanted the IPad for sometime now, and now that I have it, I’ve a learning curve to climb.  Like all of the new tech items I’ve added to my bag of tools, the time it takes to research and learn the ‘how tos’ seems to take eons.  And then, tada, I get it and think how did I ever live without… Since I’m in the infancy stage of learning how the IPad will be of benefit, I thought why not create a cute cozy for it? 

I found this great crochet pattern from Olivia over on gingerschatz. I pulled out a skein of RDWD, Oleander base in the color Time for tea. I'll need to crochet 34 of these little squares.  I'm at about the half way mark. Once finished, I can safely tuck away my IPad and slide it into my purse.  

Stay tuned as I learn more about apps, etc. I’ll share. One quick Google search landed me at Anotherlongyarn, where Zina has done a bit of research on the topic. How about you?  Do you use an iPad? I'd love to hear your thoughts.  Have a great weekend.

A pause to ponder

Lunching with my gal pals...

As I think on this past year and the blessings in my life, I’ve tried to focus on the good; my job, a healthy family, a wedded sister, an engaged niece and the joy of belonging to this amazing blogging community.  I’ve had the best time visiting my favorites, posting to my own and reading comments from those of you who have stopped by for a visit.  I may be a year older today, humm, 50 something-ish… but I’m full of joy and gratitude for all of you.

Hugs…Karen

More hexipuffs

...Hexipuff progress

Still puffin along, I have managed to stay on schedule and create at least one puff a day.  I have to admit that I have some favorite yarns that really stand out in the crowd.  Right now I’m in love with the Bugga and Skinny Bugga that I’ve incorporated into the mix.  The colorways are just stunning and I’m so happy with every single puff after it is stuffed and sewn up, that I can’t wait to get to the next one.  This Beekeepers quilt project is exceeding my expectations in how much joy it is bringing me and I’m certain the completed quilt will not disappoint….

This weeks progress

Current Favorites

Joy

A celebration of love, joy and happiness is how to best describe Kathleen and Bob’s wedding day.  It was such a memorable occasion for the entire family.  First of all, it is next to impossible to get us all together, and the fact that we pulled it off is a miracle all by itself.  How fun it was to see all those beautiful faces in one room. It was a gorgeous ceremony and the reception was a fun evening where we all took the time to enjoy each other’s company.  My sister was a radiant bride and her groom was all smiles. I am so happy for them both as they start their new life together as man and wife. Congratulations and Best wishes to you, dear sister Kathleen.  The little ones did such a great job. Our flower girl Madeline was just adorable, and Tommy, well he is such a cutie and carried that pillow proud.  It was tears and laughter for us all.

A Wedding...

My sister Kathleen's Wedding is but a mere two weeks away from today.  So exciting! I’ve been busy putting the final touches to the ring bearers’ pillow and the flower girls basket that I made for this special event. Tommy, my grand nephew will carry the knit pillow. It is made up using two 8x8 stockinette squares that are sewn together and then a scalloped crochet edging was added.

Madeline, my grand niece will carry the flower girl basket. I crocheted the basket using a pattern sent to me by the lovely Maaike, She had showcased the basket she made for her Wedding on her blog Crejjtion a while ago and I wrote and asked her for the pattern.  She graciously wrote it down and sent it to me.  Thank you and hugs Maaike!  I can’t wait to see the little ones carrying these down the isle.

Both items were made using Rowan Siena 4-ply cotton yarn.